Shabby Bird

Hello and good morning!


Today's card is a shabby Christmas card to play along with the challenge over at The Shabby Tea Room, "Pretty Baubles."  It's been awhile since I've made a shabby card and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Or maybe I enjoyed playing in girly, sweet, soft colors.  And glitter.  And ribbons and lace.  Whatever the reason, I had so much fun making this card.  Don't you just want to eat it up?

The challenge was to use the image below as inspiration and to include a bird.  I would LOVE to have a wreath like that!  I think I would leave it up all year.  The colors are just so delicious.

This card came together relatively quickly.  I knew I wanted to use a soft blue/turquoise with pink and white as the main contrast colors.  I embossed the white layer with the SU Fancy Fan embossing folder and sponged the top very lightly with TH Distress Ink Spun Suger using a sponge dauber.  Easy does it.  I stitched two layers of wandering straight stitch, one with pale blue, the other with pale pink embroidery threads.  I then layered two rows of pink scalloped borders, a layer of lace, then a thin velvet ribbon.

The bird was punched from pink printed paper using the SU bird punch (though it looks more coral in the photo), then brushed it lightly with Ivory Creative Inspirations paints.  Love that shimmer.  I applied glitter to the tail and wing and Gold Perfect Pearls to the beak.

The bottom tag really is a tag, I promise - it comes from the SB Antique Frame and Accents Shapeabilities set, and I stamped it with a pine branch stamp before adding the bird.  It's just a bit covered up by the bow.  

The bow isn't seam binding, it's a faux silk with a crisp hand.  I added a second little tag with the sentiment stamped in Versafine Smoky Gray.  Black just seemed too harsh.  

I inked the edges of the tag with more Spun Sugar and the edges of the blue tag with SU Marina Mist.  The stick pins are my own making, and the metallic gold thread is from my stash.

Some palest blue pearls finish this card.

Thank you for joining me today as I step out of the traditional Christmas color zone.  Sometimes you've just gotta be different.

Have a lovely day, and happy crafting!

Ingredients:

Stamps:  Christmas Classics, All That Glitters (both by Flourishes)
Ink: Versafine Smoky Gray, SU Marina Mist and Certainly Celery, TH Spun Sugar Distress Ink
Paper: SU Pool Party, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White, Annalee by Prima
Accessories: SB Shapeabilities Antique Frame and Accents, SU Fancy Fan ef, Dienamics Double Scallop Border, SU Edgelits Adorning Accents, SB Tailor-Made Dies (small tag); SU Bird Builder, pearls, faux silk ribbon, lace, thin velvet ribbon, gold thread, custom made stick pins, Creative Inspirations paint (Ivory) and Resplendence Angel Dust, sewing machine, dimensionals.

Challenges Entered:

The Shabby Tea Room Week #143 - Pretty Baubles
There She Goes TSG184 - Tag, You're It
Incy Wincy Designs - Non-traditional Christmas Colours
The Pink Elephant Challenge TPE 177 - Make It Girly
Anything Goes Challenge 81 - Tags
SCS WT404 - Brown Paper Packages (use favorite things - mine are ribbon, glitter and lace).
CCEE1249 - Use a favorite new die (I used the SB Antique Frame and Accents)
Crafty Ribbons Challenge 34 - Label/Tag, Big or Small
C.R.A.F.T. Challenge 184 - Christmas
Fussy and Fancy Challenge 77 - I Love Christmas
Speedy Fox and Friends Challenge 136 - Christmas Card, No Red or Green
My Sheri Crafts Challenge 99 - 'Tis the Season
Pile It On #49 - Pile On the Embellishments
3 Girl JAM Challenge #8 - Christmas Inspiration
Frosted Designs 12 Days of Christmas - First Day (Bird)

MOJO Monday - sketch 270